Overall:
I traded a Squier Standard Strat a couple of days ago to some High School kid for this. He said that it was unplayable. After looking at it , it was obvious that all it needed was a setup and intonation check along with a cleaning which I did to the guitar. Once I got done with everything and plugged it into my Vintage 1989 Peavey Bandit 112, I was blown away at both the sound and the build of this guitar. I'm 53 years old and have been playing for over 40 years and in that time, I have to say that this is without a doubt , one of the best guitars I have ever come across. The stock Epiphone Alnico open coil humbuckers provide more than enough sustain to please any musician whether they play Blues or metal . Plus playing this on a clean setting provides a really nice ringing tone to it as well. The Grover tuners do a excellent job of providing tuning stability and the White Cross and the IV inlay on the 12th fret , are cosmetically pleasing to the eye along with the Matte Black finish as well. Some I've heard, have complained about the weight of this guitar, but in comparison to say a Les Paul standard , this is relatively light and easy on my shoulder. All in all, I highly reccomend this to the musician on a budget who wants a LP but doesn't want to pay the exuberant prices for a Gibson.

Sound:
I've been a guitarist for thirty-plus years. I've owned a lot of guitars. Plenty of "really expensive" ones, too. This guitar is really great for the price. Seriously. As some of the other reviewers have noted, the Alnico Classic Plus(TM) Humbucker pickups are pretty hot (I can't track down the actual voltage but I'd say the bridge pickup runs 250+mV, anyway), but they are a tad bit noisy (which could possibly just be a result of the wiring (I haven't had a chance to shield it or anything, yet), which can be easily fixed (with the aforementioned shielding)). I'm probably going to opt for a couple DiMarzios or perhaps Seymour Duncans... just personal taste. For the casual player, though, the tone on this guitar out of the box is really, really great. Very crisp on the bridge and very mellow on the neck.
Feature:
Mahogany, mahogany, mahogany... I've read reviews here and there stating that this is a "neck-thru" guitar - it's not. It's a set neck... which is just fine and dandy - it's really solid and has a great feel to it. The "Killpot" is a unique touch - by pushing on the pot, it kills the signal, much like flipping the pickup selector with one of the volumes down, making for a nice little effect if ya need it, saving SERIOUS unnecessary wear on the pickup selector. The pickguard is a little cheap, but again, an easily rectified situation.
Ease of Use:
As stated earlier, this guitar is capable of great tone, the same great tone its big brother is capable of.
Quality:
Other than the cheap-ish pickguard, the guitar is really solid and very well-built. The internal electronics all appear well-done for an "assembly line guitar," also.
Value:
Honestly, it's a great value, even at a much higher price.
Manufacturer Support:
n/a
The Wow Factor:
This is a really aesthetically-pleasing guitar. The satin/matte finish is really attractive and well-done. The tuners on the guitar are Grover Rotomatics (look to be the midsize 305BCs) and not the "vintage" tuners that appear in the pic. That is a plus to me, because I'm not a very big fan of unsealed tuners.
Overall:
Bottom line - if you've got $2,500 laying around, yeah, buy the Gibson... but for this price, this is an amazing guitar right out of the box. Anyone worth their salt in the business will tell you so.

Sound:
I was suprised at the quality of this guitar. The neck action is sweet and the sound is what I would expect from a les paul! I purchased this as a gift for my son's 16th birthday. I am satisfied that he will grow with this professional quality guitar for years to come.

Sound:
The pickups are great, right out of the box. Mine has the '59s on it. I changed to my favorite strings and bam, that was it. The sustain on this guitar lasts forever.
Feature:
No special features needed. The goth look is great - matte black and black metal.
Ease of Use:
Plays like charm. Out of the three guitars I currently own, I love playing this guitar.
Quality:
Epiphone quality is top notch. After I bought this guitar, I went out and bought another Epiphone. I'm sold on the company. Great stuff.
Value:
I don't think you can get a better Les Paul for the price.
Manufacturer Support:
Never needed it.
The Wow Factor:
Matte black. I get a lot of lookers at my guitar.
Overall:
Overall 10! If you buy it you won't be disappointed.

Overall:
I have only had my new Studio Goth a couple months and it has not disappointed at all. Great rich sounds and the kill switch just adds so much range of sounds to it. I played an older one but it did not sound like this. Now I can play some gigs and do them with power and range. And I love the black look. One of the best guitar's I have and definitely a big on sound, small on cost axe....

Overall:
I bought this guitar in 2005, played it for about 4/5 years. Then decided I wanted to try something different, went to trade it in for a used Epiphone Black Beauty and said good buy to my Goth. After a few months of playing with the Black Beauty I noticed the neck was splitting and the frets were starting to rise and in result cutting my fingers and leaving them bloody whe when I would perform live. I lasted 2 years with the Black Beauty, finally getting tired of it I went back to trade it and to my surprise I saw a Goth hanging on a rack that had similar characteristics of my old one, turned it around and it was the same serial number as my old one with the same dent on the 3rd fret from when I accidentally bumped into a corner. I got it back and swapped the Alnico V for DiMarzio TITANS, added a Bigsby B7 and now it's so tight. No noise, no humm, great sustain, (better than the alnico v) the Mahogany wood compliments the TITANS. I get this really heavy gnarly sound even with a Hot Rod drive or an OD. The cleans are warm yet crisp, I never have trouble with the tuners or the guitar untuning, over all it's a very well built guitar from 2005.

Overall:
Ive owned this model five times in the last decade. Three with a tuneomatic and one they had for a short run with the floyd rose bridge. And now this new one from zZounds. I always end up pawning them when I need money, then eventually, I buy another and once again it is solid and sounds consistently great. The newer ones have the Kill pot. not for me but a cool feature.
The pickups arent bad either. I always install active emgs to upgrade this guitar but the stocks arent bad either.
And of course,
Satin Black is a sexy look on an LP.
I love this guitar.
I just recently learned of the play while you pay option on zZounds.com, and its amazing.

"The best guitar money can buy in its price range&quot submitted October 16, 2003

Sound:
The sound of this product is amazing if it is heavy sound you are looking for you can play anything from slayer to slipknot on this guitar and it will always do you proud
Feature:
the pickups on this beast are all you need to know about apart from the amazing matt finish and gothic look 12th fret inlay
Quality:
This is a very rugged guitar and will take alot of abuse it would be perfect for roadtrips gigs and just jammin with a few mates whatever your need this guitar will fulfill them
Value:
This is the best guitar i have ever played
Manufacturer Support:
i cannot comment on this as i have not had any experiance with the company
The Wow Factor:
The looks of this guitar are enough to make anyone cream
Overall:
i dont think this guitar is going to get worn out any time soon

Overall:
I love this guitar. It's perfect for metal. Grover tuners make it possible to make minute adjustments to get that tuning just so. Each pick up has a tone and volume knob for itself so you can really dial in the sound for each channel. It's heavy but you'd expect that from the mahogany. The tune o matic bridge assures proper sustain and tune stability. The only drawback is the that there's no bevel on the body, so my arm lies across the corner, gets uncomfortable.

Sound:
i love the way this thing sounds. i picked it up a few months ago from my ex guitarist in a band i used to jam with, and fell in love with it. the humbuckers really play their part in this one.
Feature:
the tone knobs are pretty useless, but do you really use them? they do little difference but the three channel toggle does it all for ya, from killer leads to super smooth rhythms for blues.
Quality:
its really sturdy. its neck-through, so its alot more durable than the gibson. they may be neck through too, but the necks on gibsons are super fragile. ive dropped this axe on concrete and it never went out of tune and i dont use a floyd rose. its really durable.
Value:
this guitar is priced perfectly, so you get all the bang you can for your buck.
The Wow Factor:
this axe definately looks metal. all black satin finish, looks like its been through hell. it looks awesome on stage
Overall:
overall, its an awesome guitar

Overall:
Set up right out of the box. Plays perfectly, action low with no string buzz. Pickups are really good but I will upgrade to EMG's. Looks amazing, lower weight than LP but feels good and balanced wearing a strap, and lacks nothing in sound. Just like all the other reviews say, get this guitar. Mellow blues to heavy, you will not be disappointed!! I will always buy Epiphone, as this replaced a Fender Strat costing twice as much and played/sounded like crap.

Overall:
I love this guitar. It's perfect for metal. Grover tuners make it possible to make minute adjustments to get that tuning just so. Each pick up has a tone and volume knob for itself so you can really dial in the sound for each channel. It's heavy but you'd expect that from the mahogany. The tune o matic bridge assures proper sustain and tune stability. The only drawback is the that there's no bevel on the body, so my arm lies across the corner, gets uncomfortable.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

1. zZounds offers the industry‘s most musician-friendly payment plans

zZounds offers a variety of Play as You Pay installment plans that allow you to get the gear you want today. While our competitors might offer house credit cards that require you to fill out an application and pass a credit check, our payment plans are easy to get, simple to use, and, best of all, accrue zero interest. Unlike those house credit cards that can leave you vulnerable to exorbitant interest charges once the promotional period ends, we never have and never will charge interest when you take advantage of one of the zZounds Play as You Pay plans.

2. zZounds guarantees the lowest price

Seen it for less somewhere else? Get it for less at zZounds. Simply click the “Seen it for less?” link on any product page and as long as we‘re not losing money, we‘ll beat any legitimate competitor‘s lowest price, usually within two hours. Want our best price even faster? Call us at 844-zZounds (844-996-8637), and we‘ll provide you with a lower price on the phone. Also, if you purchase from us and later find the product for less elsewhere, call or email us within 45 days, and we‘ll refund you the difference.

3. Nobody Beats zZounds‘ Fast & Free Shipping

At zZounds, we know you want your gear fast, and shipped to you free of charge. That‘s why we have absolutely free ground shipping on every single order shipped within the continental United States. This includes heavy and oversized items. No minimum purchase required. No exclusions. We also ship over 90% of our orders with FREE 2-day shipping. We pull it all off with our strategically placed, coast-to-coast warehouses.

4. zZounds makes returns super easy

Buy it, try it, like it, or return it to us for a full refund. It‘s just that simple. If you‘re not in love with what you bought, return it to zZounds within 45 days, and we‘ll promptly arrange for an exchange or a refund. No hassles. No hidden charges. And if a product‘s defective or damaged, call us at 844-zZounds (844-996-8637), and we‘ll email you a prepaid shipping label so you can easily return it to us at zero cost to you.

5. zZounds delivers top-rated customer service

zZounds has received multiple Bizrate® Circle of Excellence Platinum awards, placing us in the top 0.7 percent of Bizrate‘s network of 5,200 retailers. Our success in meeting the needs of our customers -- since 1996, we‘ve satisfied over 1,000,000 people -- is due in large part to the fact that zZounds only hires experienced musicians to answer your calls and emails, and they are never paid a commission.